Tyla received the first-ever Grammy for finest African music efficiency earlier this yr, however her debut album will compete within the pop class on the 2025 present.
Tyla’s self-titled effort was submitted to finest R&B album however was kicked to finest pop vocal album by the Recording Academy’s R&B screening committee, which isn’t made up of Academy staffers however of artists, producers, songwriters and extra who’re deemed consultants of the R&B style. If nominated in pop — a particularly stacked class — Tyla would compete alongside albums like Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Division, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Exhausting and Comfortable, Sabrina Carpenter’s Brief N’ Candy, Ariana Grande’s Everlasting Sunshine and Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.
Booting Tyla’s album is a shock because the 14-track undertaking is rooted within the Southern African style Amapiano, Afrobeats and R&B. As a substitute of being pushed to pop, her album must be competing in the most effective progressive R&B album class — a second R&B album award that was created to spotlight R&B-based albums that additionally infuse different sounds and parts, from rap to bop to pop. SZA’s SOS received the consideration earlier this yr.
Six of the tracks from Tyla have appeared on Billboard’s Scorching R&B Songs chart, together with the viral hit “Water,” which reached the No. 1 spot. “Water” peaked at No. 7 on the all-genre Scorching 100 chart and spent 51 weeks on prime of the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.
“Water” received the inaugural finest African music efficiency Grammy in February. Tyla might have additionally been submitted to finest world music album — the place most Afrobeats artists have submitted their albums together with Burna Boy, Tems and Ayra Starr — however finest progressive R&B album seems like the most effective residence for the undertaking, sonically talking. Tyla options collaborations with Travis Scott, Tems, Gunna, Becky G and Skillibeng.
The kick to pop seems like a shock when an album like Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You, which was pop however included appears like R&B, dance and rap, was nominated and received finest progressive R&B album (previously referred to as finest city up to date album) in 2020. The Grammys additionally didn’t take away Tommy Richman’s viral TikTok hit “Million Greenback Child” from rap although his staff submitted the non-rap music to the rap classes this yr. The information was met with criticism on social media, particularly as a result of Richman sings on the observe and the 24-year-old claimed he isn’t a hip-hop artist although he later clarified his phrases.
First-round voting for the 2025 Grammys ended final week. Nominations will likely be introduced Nov. 8 and ultimate voting is from Dec. 12 by Jan. 3. The dwell present will air on Feb. 2 from the Crypto.com Area in Los Angeles.
